Daily Number

44.6%

June 28, 2013

About 45 percent of New Jersey high school students are sexually active, according to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biannual survey conducted by the New Jersey Department of Education in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control.

The survey also reports that 32 percent had sexual intercourse at least once during the previous three months; 14 percent have had sexual intercourse with four or more partners; and 5 percent engaged in sexual intercourse before they were 13.

The same study found that these high school students were not necessarily engaged in safe sex -- 37 percent did not use a condom, 15 percent didn’t use any method to prevent pregnancy, and 83 percent did not use birth control pills.

In almost all instances, New Jersey’s rate of risky behavior was slightly below the national average. More New Jersey students, however, reported not using any birth control method during their last sexual encounter (15 percent) than those nationally (13 percent).